Scripture Passage
Luke 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Sermon Script
Martha was very stressed. She was distracted. She was worried and upset. She felt all alone. She came to Jesus out of frustration.
She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Luke 10:40
We can understand Martha. We know what it’s like to be under a lot of stress. You just enjoyed a week free of stress. You may find yourself in Martha’s shoes when you return to school this week.
Jesus also understood Martha. He didn’t blame her for feeling the way she did. He knew why she was stressed. He tells her gently—
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things…”
Luke 10:41
Martha was all over the place. Her mind was on too many things at once. She couldn’t help but be stressed out. What does Jesus tell her right after?
…but few things are needed—or indeed only one.
Luke 10:42
Don’t focus on many things. Instead, learn to focus on one thing at a time. Focus on what is truly important. Then your heart will be at peace.
Martha had good intentions. She was the one who opened her home to Jesus. She wanted to serve Jesus and make him feel at home. She wanted to be the best host she could possibly be. People like Martha welcome and bless others.
So, what Martha was doing was important. But not what was truly important at that time. That’s what she missed.
We often think school is the most important thing. Yes, it is important. Getting your work done, preparing well for tests, and striving for good grades are all important things. But it is not the most important thing in all circumstances.
Many of us don’t realize that. We struggle to see anything other than our studies. So when other things come up in our life, we get easily stressed. We can’t seem to step away from school-related things. We try to juggle all the responsibilities at once. But as someone mentioned at the retreat, we human beings are not wired to multitask.
Knowing what is most important at a particular time takes practice. It is a spiritual practice. There is a time for everything in life. That’s what the writer of Ecclesiastes said—
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 5-6
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,a time to keep and a time to throw away.
Even though it’s been warm, we are still in winter. Winter is not what we would call an “active” season. Rather, it is a season of hibernation, rest, and rejuvenation. Everything slows down. It is a time of preparation for the bright, warmer, and more active season of summer that is to come.
In the same way, I believe that our life consists of two poles. That is, DOING and BEING. It is never all one or the other. It consists of working hard but also resting.
Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, once spoke of a Japanese concept called “ma”. It means, “emptiness”. For example, when we clap our hands, the short time that exists in between our clapping is that “ma”. It is a space of non-action.
If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness. But if you take a moment, then the tension building… can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension all the time you just get numb.
Hayao Miyazaki
Do we not live like this? Life of non-stop action and constant tension. No wonder we feel numb all the time.
There is a time to DO, and a time to BE. Know what time it is. You will find the one thing that is truly important. Mary was able to do that.
It wasn’t that Mary had no interest in helping Martha. Mary knew that at that particular time, it was more important for her to simply be with Jesus. To listen to what he had to say, and to learn from him. She focused on one thing, not many things. She was calm and at peace. Jesus said—
Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.
Luke 10:42
The story of Martha and Mary is not about who is the better sibling. Jesus is not comparing the sisters by putting Martha down and lifting Mary up. He appreciates both of them equally for who they are. For Martha, he wanted to assure her that she didn’t need to be so worried and stressed. There is a much better thing that she can focus on instead. Jesus is drawing her attention elsewhere than her tasks.
It is interesting to see where Luke places today’s story in his Gospel. Before today’s passage is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus shares the parable to show the importance of loving our neighbour not just in words, but in action. Right after today’s passage is Jesus’ teaching on the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus shows the importance of being connected with God and aligning our hearts with his.
In life, there is a time to be Martha, and a time to be Mary. Don’t try to be both at once. Focus on one thing at a time. Ask God to show you what you need to focus on. That itself is prayer.
Let go of everything else that isn’t important at that time. Declutter your life. You are not meant to be a superhero. Everything will be okay. The world will go around just as it did before.
When we learn to focus on one thing at a time, our life becomes simple. Simplicity is the mark of a spiritual life. Our mind becomes clear. Our heart becomes less anxious and more peaceful. We become like a child. Practice simplicity.
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